Ligeia
by NecroHolic
Summary: On the simplest level, Brooke Riverwood loves Takuma Ichijo. The reason things aren't that easy: what kind of a man would love a siren if he knew his love was one? Now she has to balance her true nature with her needs of her love. Can she do it? TakumaOC


Necro: Okay, I know this is a two-person profile, but Necro's gonna be a rebel and put out her own little distraction story first. (What can I say? Necro works faster).

Kaname: *sigh* What she's trying to say but failing to get to is that Necro does not own Vampire Knight, only Brooke.

Necro: *glare* I hate you so much right now...

Takuma: Please review since it'll make Necro happy!

Brooke: Bold means the speech is in Japanese, while italics denotes stress and thoughts.

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><p>Brooke Riverwood stood quietly in front of the Moon Dorm, clutching her small backpack close and shivering slightly under her loose jacket, mainly because of the scanty clothing underneath it. Her light silver hair was reminiscent of the ocean waves, a comparison encouraged by the streaks of various shades of blue and green throughout her locks, but her eyes were a dark blue-gray that the sea took directly before a storm, though they were currently full of fear and quiet resignation. She had never been so far away from home before, but she had also never been so close to beings other than her own. Biting her lip and wincing at the slight twitch of pain as her fangs sliced into the pink skin, she tentatively ventured through the imposing wood doors and went to simply sneak up the stairs to get away from such intimidating aristocratic grace.<p>

"**Hello there**!" a male voice exclaimed, startling her into whirling around and nearly dropping her bag. Before her stood a handsome young man with pretty blond hair and the most breath-taking green eyes, though they were full of concern and worry. "**Sorry, did I scare you**?" he asked, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "**I didn't mean to. I just thought you knew I was there.**" He suddenly seemed to notice the backpack in her hands, the straps wrapped around her wrists. "**Are you new here**?"

She nodded. "**I'm Brooke, and I would appreciate if you talked a little slower. I'm from America, so…"** she trailed off bashfully, blushing hard.

"No worries," he said, smiling. "We all speak English here too! Oh, my name is Takuma Ichijo, but you can call me Takuma. I imagine Kaname will want to see you, but as Vice President of the Moon Dorm, I have no problem getting you used to your new surroundings."

She shook her head. "No no, I'll be fine navigating on my own. I've sort of been alone my entire life, with the sole exception of occasional visits from my father, so I'll be just as fine learning my environment as I would be with your help." _In fact,_ she added silently, _it's better if you didn't come; what is it about you, Takuma Ichijo, that makes me want to break the vow I made to my mother on her deathbed and allow myself to get close to someone outside my own species?_

He almost seemed to wilt under her rather polite dismissal. "Well, okay then, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

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><p>Brooke sat quietly in class, finding that she liked Rima Toya and Senri Shiki far more than she did any of the others. Rima and Senri were quiet and didn't ask her to interact with them, a soothing thing to her, and she was also fond of Akatsuki Kain because he too respected her boundaries, but since he was almost always with his cousin Hanabusa Aido, she kept her distance from him. Kaname, on the other hand, downright intimidated her and almost seemed to be what a male of her species would be like if it weren't for the bloodlust she sensed hiding beneath his composed appearance. Even so, she understood how to act in each situation in order to diffuse tension and never let them get anywhere close to guessing her secret.<p>

Takuma, however, was the one vampire she didn't quite understand. So often he seemed bubbly and happy, but she sensed deep turmoil inside him, and furthermore, his mood would change to hostile on a dime if he got the idea that she was in danger. Such as right now, when Zero Kiryu was glaring daggers at the girl and she was literally cowering under his glare. He thought her a vampire, true, but those harsh lavender eyes reminded her of exactly why she didn't reveal her true nature to others; they were too close-minded about her race, though most of what the legends stated _was_ true and numerous members of her species had led people to their deaths, but not all of her kind were like that! She didn't want to do horrible things to people, but it was her nature to bring out the worst in people using the best of things. Takuma pulled her behind him, a low hiss escaping from him as his green eyes flashed red with suppressed anger. As they passed by the glowering hunter, he hissed, "**Knock it off, Kiryu. She hasn't done anything wrong**."

The hunter shrugged. "**She is one of your kind**," he stated dryly.

_Not true_, she thought but kept it herself.

"**It is only a matter of time until she snaps and reveals her true nature**."

"**Brooke's not like that**!" Takuma yelled, standing resolutely in front of his friend. "**She'd rather die than hurt anyone**!"

"**Intentions don't matter where your kind are concerned, vampire**," Zero ground out.

Sensing Takuma's dwindling patience, she touched his arm gently. "Let it go, Takuma," she murmured softly, stepping out from under the protective arm he'd placed around her. "He will not listen to you anyway." Ignoring the hand he reached towards her, she then walked back to the room she shared with Rima and sat in silence for a long time, ruminating on her fate.

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><p>Brooke's surprise showed on her face when she opened the door to see Takuma standing uncomfortably on the other side, shuffling uncomfortably in his uniform. Seeing how she was dressed in a short blue skirt and a green bikini top, he asked, "You aren't going to class today?"<p>

She shook her head. "No," she murmured softly. "I don't feel well." _My body misses what it needs most, so I have to take today out to recover what it is I've lost,_ she thought, longing to tell him but refraining from elaborating as so.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked concernedly.

She shook her head. "It just happens from time to time. By this time tomorrow, I should be fine. It's not something that catches, don't worry."

"I never was," he replied. "I was just worried about you."

"Takuma," she breathed in a warning tone, but before she could come up with some kind of argument, he kissed her softly.

"I really like you, Brooke," he said softly. "I know you don't trust people enough to let them into your shell, but will you at least give me a chance to try?"

Want shone from her eyes, but she turned her face away, tears falling from her eyes. _Takuma, you wouldn't feel that way if you knew the truth about me. After all, what man would ever love a siren knowing what they are?_ "I'm sorry, Takuma," she said softly, her voice thick with tears. "I want this more than anything else in the world, but I can't let you into my life."

"Brooke-"

"I can't hurt you by letting you know the truth about me, Takuma, and I'm sorry! I'm being horribly selfish and cruel, but I'd rather live a life of pain wondering about what could have been than let you break my heart into a million little pieces!" she yelled, slamming the door on his heart-broken face and falling onto her bed crying. _It is a rare occurrence for a siren to fall so deeply in love,_ she lamented, _but when they do, it does not take much time and their love is always meant to end in tragedy, a fate befitting of a creature who lures men to their deaths with naught but their voice and their charm._


End file.
